20
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Around The Home, Home Buyer Tips, ,

Going on a Nice Vacation? Protect Your Home and Valuables With These 3 Key Tips

It's always exciting to pack up and get away from your home for the sake of escape, but going on vacation also means leaving your home behind. While a good neighborhood can go a long way towards making sure your home stays safe in your absence, here are some additional tips for how to ensure you'll be coming back from your trip without incident. Take Care Of Your Property Thieves will often assume that an unkempt yard and home maintenance issues are a sign of a homeowner that doesn't care, and this will often attract them to a property. Instead…
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11
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Buying a Home on a Single Income? 3 Budgeting Tips That Will Make Things Easier

Are you thinking about buying that perfect new home? Whether you're buying for yourself or a new home for a family, there will be many costs involved. Let's take a look at 3 budgeting tips that will help make home ownership on a single income easier. Get A Full Picture Of Home Ownership Costs Buying a home is never as simple as paying a mortgage payment each month. So, as with most budgets the first place to start is a full consideration of everything involved. On top of your mortgage, what other monthly costs will come up? Consider utilities like…
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07
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

It’s Tax Time: Learn How Buying a New Home Can Help to Reduce Your Tax Burden

Most people do not look forward to tax time, whether they get money back or not, but as a homeowner there are a lot of things you can do that will help to reduce your taxes and get you a refund. If you're getting prepared to invest in a home and are wondering how it can benefit you, here are some deductions you'll want to watch out for. Minimizing Mortgage Interest One of the best benefits of having a home is that you can actually deduct mortgage interest at tax time and save considerable money as a result. While the…
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31
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Student Loans vs. Down Payments: 3 Ways You Can Manage Both and Buy a New Home

The idea of paying off your student loans and buying a home at the same time can seem like an impossible feat given the impact on your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio. However, there are ways it's possible to have enough funds and good enough credit to make your dream of home ownership come true a little more quickly. If you're currently considering how to manage both, here are some options you might want to consider. Decrease Your Debt Lenders will be looking at your DTI ratio in order to determine whether or not you're a solid financial bet, so before throwing…
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22
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips, ,

Real Estate Investment: Three Telltale Signs You’re Not Cut Out to Be a Landlord

The idea of purchasing a property and having renters can be an exciting business venture that offers lucrative financial rewards. However, there's a lot involved in being a successful landlord and it's important to be aware of what's required before making the commitment. Whether you're investing in one rental property or five, here are some questions you should ask yourself before getting involved. Can You Do-It-Yourself? There's a lot more to being a landlord than taking the rental check, and one of these things is being there for the tenant when push comes to shove. If there are issues with…
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10
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Home Buyer Tips,

Making the Grade: How to Research Local Schools Before Buying Your Next Home

There are so many things involved in moving into a new home in a different neighborhood that it can be easy to forget about the proximity of many nearby amenities. However, if you have children, the local schools available can make-or-break the decision on whether or not to invest in a house. If you're wondering how you can find out more about the local school, let the following tips be your guide. Take a Web-Search To SchoolMatch.com One of the benefits of so many things being online these days is that local schools are no exception, and SchoolMatch.com is a…
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